Although hand washing limits the spread of microorganisms that cause illness, immediate access to soap and water, and the lack of time needed to correctly wash hands present significant barriers to implementing rigorous hand washing policies in the workplace, especially for workers on manufacturing floors. Instant hand sanitizers can be of great use in situations where soap and water are not available for regular hand washing. Studies have shown that illness absenteeism associated with transmissible pathogens is decreased by 15-50% when rinse free instant hand sanitizers are routinely used. Therefore, using instant hand sanitizers in the workplace can save a company millions of dollars annually.
Commercially available instant hand sanitizers can be grouped into two categories: alcohol-free and alcohol-containing. Of the former category, quaternary ammonium compounds are most frequently employed as the antimicrobial active ingredient. Of the latter category, ethanol at a concentration range of 62-70% w/w is most prominent on the market. Both alcohol-free and alcohol-containing products generally are equally effective at reducing germs on the skin with a single use. With repeated use alcohol-free products show a significant persistence of antimicrobial activity whereas alcohol-containing products appear to increase the skin's ability to carry pathogens.
Microorganisms that spread from human skin can adversely affect electronic components when the workers in the electronics manufacturing facility contact the electronic components. Some microorganisms pose a danger to electronic-component materials because they can destroy metal alloys, electric contacts, and various polymers. In a study of long-term manned spaceflight missions, more than 100 species of microorganisms were identified on the surfaces of materials (bacteria and fungi). Among them were pathogenic ones such as saprophytes capable of active growth on artificial substrates, as well as technophilic bacteria and fungi. Such biotic contaminants can degrade and destroy metals and polymers, disrupting the functionality of the electronic equipment.
In a typical electronics manufacturing process, it is imperative to avoid contaminating electronic components as they are processed. Some chemical contaminants will prevent solder wetting by forming a barrier between flux and the oxides. Others present a physical barrier to the flow of electricity after assembly (grease on gold contacts, for example). Ionic contamination can originate as the vestiges of the acids used to remove oxides, and as other ionic compounds introduced incidentally from workers' hands into circuitry.